Today’s post is 1300 words, 27 photos, 2 videos and a 6-minute read. Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the third post in a series about my recent journey to Sacramento. This week, I’ll take you to the site near Sacramento where gold was discovered in California, forever changing the state’s fortunes. On the return trip, we’ll stop at another place that showcases the wealth of locally grown fruits and vegetables.

If you missed the first two articles, click here and here.

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

It was a relaxing, leisurely start to Saturday morning. My hosts, Todd and Leslie, were off work. After a stop at the local Peet’s Coffee, we head to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park near Coloma, California, about 50 miles away. There, we would learn about the discovery that sparked one of the greatest gold rushes in world history.

This park preserves the site where James W. Marshall discovered flakes of gold on January 24, 1848, while building a sawmill for John Sutter. He’s the guy behind Sutter’s Mill that we learned about in elementary school American history classes. Marshall’s seemingly small discovery ignited the California Gold Rush that drew hundreds of thousands of fortune seekers from around the world. This transformed California’s economy and population, paving the way for statehood in 1850.

We had a few minutes before our guided tour to explore the park visitor center and view some of the displays.

Our tour was guided by Ed Allen, the volunteer Park Historian. He’s appeared in numerous films, newspapers, and magazine articles about the Gold Rush. After a brief introduction, Ed walked to the shade of a grove of trees where he talked about the indigenous Nisenan people who lived here long before loggers, miners, farmers, and shopkeepers moved in.

He also shared a bit about the flora and fauna of this area at the time of the discovery. The hills were covered in pine and oak trees, which provided plenty of acorns, a dietary staple of the Nisenan people. The nearby South Fork of the American River provided drinking water and fish, supplementing the abundant wildlife in the surrounding forests. The native peoples cared for these natural resources that sustained them for generations. Ed showed us Grandmother Rock, where they used to grind nuts into a powder. Note the grinding holes in the second photo. They then took the “flour” to the American River to release the bitter tannins through a process called “leaching.” 

Our next stop on the tour was at the replica of Sutter’s Mill and the Gold Discovery site along the American River. While building the sawmill with the help of Army soldiers and Native Americans, James Marshall knew he had to dig a channel or race to divert river water to power the mill. It was during this process that Marshall noticed several shiny pebbles in the water. He had discovered gold! Marshall and Sutter tried to keep the discovery a secret until the mill was operational, but word quickly spread. The rumors and stories were confirmed by then-President James K. Polk. The gold rush was on.

We took a few minutes to check out the South Fork of the American River. We thought we spotted some gold near the river bank. It turned out to be just another shiny object!

More stories from Ed about the gold discovery followed. He answered many questions from the tour group.

On the way back to the visitor center, we stopped at the Wah Hop Store and the Man Lee Mining Exhibit. Among the many seeking fortune during the Gold Rush were large numbers of Chinese. By 1855, there were an estimated 20,000 miners of Chinese descent in California. The Wah Hop store provided services such as barbering, herbal remedies common in the old country, mail service to China, banking, and a dining area. There was also a shrine and altar where descendants could pay respects to their ancestors. This small building was the center of Chinese life in the gold fields.

This stop ended the tour with Ed. We learned a lot thanks to Ed.

James Marshall Monument

At the top of a high bluff overlooking the village of Coloma, the American River, and the Gold Discovery Historic Park, stands a tall monument to James Marshall. This is a man who never saw a dime from his discovery. After gold was discovered, workers abandoned the mill he was building with his partner John Sutter. The lawsuits that followed drained his finances. He tried mining with little success, did odd jobs, ran a winery and small ranch, but didn’t make much money. But he did receive a monument and a small pension from the California State Legislature. This monument marks his final resting place.

Ikedas

After taking photos and taking one last look at the American River and the Historic Park, we headed to Ikedas California Country Market in Auburn. Right off I-80, this is a popular stop for those folks traveling between San Francisco and Reno. It’s known for seasonal fruits, pies, jams, jellies, candies, specialty foods, and deli. It’s just been named one of the best pie shops in America. Check out the article here. We had a bite to eat and bought a pie to take to the hosted dinner that evening. It was a fun, tasty stop.

Foresthill Bridge

Near Auburn, we stopped near the confluence of the Middle Fork and the North Fork of the American River. There, high above the river canyon, is the Foresthill Bridge. It was built as part of the Auburn Dam project that was later abandoned. It’s considered one of the most impressive bridges in California. The rivers below once attracted miners to search for gold to fill their pockets. Now it’s considered prime recreation land.

 

We were standing on a bridge, looking at the river and the bridge above. On the other side were people frolicking in the cool water on the warm day. I couldn’t help but notice this couple making out on the rocky shore, oblivious to those around them.

Before heading back to Sacramento, I snapped this photo of Todd and Leslie with the electric Rivian. I have to say I am quite impressed by this vehicle. During our time in Sacramento, regular unleaded was running between $5.90 and $6.15 per gallon. I noticed a lot of electric vehicles, many of them Teslas.  One evening, there was a house party going on the street where Todd and Leslie live. I estimated that half the cars were electric. When I returned home, I raved about the Rivian to my Traveling Partner. She didn’t bite but told me I’d have to sell the Red Rover (F-150) and the camping trailer before considering buying a Rivian. Ok, a feller can dream!

That evening, we attended a hosted dinner at Marty’s home in Elk Grover. It was delicious and fun. When we returned home, the street where they live was filled with fire trucks. We later learned that a fire started in the garage, possibly electrical in origin. There was some damage to the garage exterior and smoke inside the house. It did look like all the fire trucks in Elk Grove were trying to get in on the action.

That does it for this week. Join me next week for another adventure in Sacramento.

But before I go……

THE FIVE SENSES PLUS ONE

Saw – grinding rock, sutter’s mill that set off the gold rush of 1849, fruit and pies at Ikedas, Foresthill Bridge, fire trucks

Heard – sirens, river water rushing by, people talking, my name called for a food order

Touch – door handles, railings, rocks, petted dogs

Smell – smoke, food cooking, fresh mountain air

Taste – hamburger, salmon, asparagus, curly fries, chocolate-covered almonds

Learned – history of gold discovery in California, how natives lived and sustained themselves, stories of travels at dinner

Until next week, happy travels!

Tom

PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all who have plunked down your hard-earned dollars and read the book. TM